Portland calls
by rhapsodybree
Summary: ... and Vegas calls back. The fierce locker room hug is not the end for David Hodges and Wendy Simms.
1. Misery

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

**Author's Note: **This fic came into being after seeing the departure of Wendy Simms in 11x02, "Pool Shark".

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David Hodges stood outside his car.

He stared up at the block of flats shrouded in darkness before him. The lone bulb near the entry door and the dull streetlights above him were the only dull sources of light.

Flicking his car keys nervously around his finger, he wondered for a moment if this was the right thing to do. Remembering Nick's words of advice, Hodges flexed his arm and told himself off. "Let's do this," he ordered, pocketing his keys.

Walking down the paved path with a confidence he didn't feel, he entered the building. Climbing the stairs, his footsteps began to falter as the third floor loomed nearer. Taking in a deep breath, he left the stairwell and looked down the hall.

Her unit was obvious. It was the only one with the door flung wide open, a shaft of light spilling onto the faded lino. His target acquired and mission clear, he forced his foot forward to take a step. And then another.

Hodges froze in his spot when a shadow crossed the light, and then Wendy stepped out into the hall, a box in her arms.

Gods, she was beautiful.

He had no more time to think about her physical features or otherwise as she looked up and saw him. There was surprise on her face as she placed the box on the floor to join others and took a step toward him. "David?" she asked, and he could detect the slight nervousness in her tone.

He couldn't do this. Not to her.

They were three steps distanced from the other when the words came tumbling out. "I'd planned to come and tell you all the reasons why you shouldn't move to Sp-Portland," babbled Hodges. "The weather, the company, hell, the state, I mean..." His voice trailed off. "But then I realised it was selfish of me." His eyes finally sought hers. "I couldn't do this to you."

"Oh David," said Wendy. She closed the gap between them and threw her arms around him. He pulled her toward him tightly and he wasn't the only one with tears in his eyes.

They stayed there for several long moments before Wendy pulled back and sniffled. "I'll miss you."

The torn man bracketed her check. Wendy turned her face into his palm as he spoke softly, brushing his thumb over her soft skin. "I'll miss you too."

Dropping his hand, he slid it down her arm and clasped her fingers. "Be safe," he said, his tone giving away his ill-disguised pain as he squeezed her hand and then let it go.

David Hodges walked down the hall and did not look back.

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Next chapter:

One year later. 


	2. Regret

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

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Wendy Simms stood outside the CSI building.

She stared at the building she hadn't seen for over a year. It was strange to say, but she felt like she was coming home. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and remembered that fateful night...

_She hesitated only a moment before raising her hand and knocking on the door. _

_She eased back, clenching her hands together as she waited. A few seconds later and it was opened by David. He was clearly surprised to see her. _

_She opened her mouth to speak, but someone beat her to it. "Who is it?" an impatient voice demanded from inside the house. "Is it the postman? He's late again." _

"_It's not the postman, Mom," called Hodges, his eyes never leaving hers, even as he kept his body firmly in the gap between the door and its frame. _

"_Are you sure?" ordered the older woman. "It's hard to know these days, what with all the blackouts and the blitzkriegs." _

_Hodges smiled tightly, shut the door and stepped out onto the small patio. At a loss of what to say, she came out with the first thing on her mind. "I didn't want to leave without saying good bye properly." _

_She saw the look on his face. "I..."_

_She got no further as David stepped toward her, placed his hands on her hips and pulled her possessively close to him. His lips covered hers and she allowed herself to be swept up. _

_Wrapping her arms around his neck, she poured all her pain, uncertainty and love into it. _

Opening her eyes once again, she saw the familiar structure and made determined steps inside. Seeing no one she knew, she headed for the one place she knew she could find him.

Standing outside the glass, she saw the familiar strong form working head down, butt up on the other side.

Her heart clenched.

Sucking in another one of those deep breaths she'd been inhaling plenty of since her arrival in Nevada three hours earlier, she stepped into the room.

"It better be bagged, labelled and all right," came the impatient voice. "Then stick it in the right tray – and a rush job is not something that can wait until tomorrow."

"I'm not here with evidence," said Wendy.

She'd never seen him move so quickly as he spun around, a test tube and pipette in hand, shock written all over his face.

Uncomfortable with silence, she made an attempt at brevity. "I'm here from Spokane."

Hodges picked up his jaw and went along with it. "How's your niece?"

She smiled, though it hurt. "Good."

Wendy bit her bottom lip as an awkward silence fell.

"Why are you here Wendy?" Hodges asked bluntly.

"The Montgomery case," she replied, nodding her head.

"Oh." They both knew which case that was: countless adjournments, appeals and dissertations and Vegas' sixth richest boy and his murder victim were finally heading to court.

"Yeah."

Wendy thrust her hands into her jean back pockets as she gathered up the courage. "David, I need to..."

She never got any further as a desperate Henry Andrews stepped into the lab, a crying baby in his arms. "I tried Wendy, but he just won't stop crying."

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Next chapter:

Dun dun. 


	3. Despair

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

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A kid?

He'd known there was something different about her the instant that she'd walked in, but damn if he would have guessed that.

Hodges watched Wendy easily slip the baby from the frantic technician's arms, easing the crying form into her ready arms, automatically rocking her body from side to side as the baby began to settle.

_Wonder who the lucky guy is?_ his mind wondered. "You left a baby with Andrews?" his mouth said.

Wendy winced as the screams became whimpers. "I couldn't find Catherine."

When the baby's cries became full-grown howls once again, Wendy's softly spoken words not working, Henry covered his ears with his hands and ran from the room. "I can't take this anymore."

Far from doing the same as his one-time love rival – though if he had, he would have managed it with a little more grace than a girly skip – Hodges found he was concerned.

"Give him here," he said before realising what he was saying, yet again. _Damn, his mouth was no longer connected to his brain. _

He and kids did _not _get along. Sure he had a niece – one girl – that he tolerated, remembering birthdays and a book at Christmas, but he knew he had no patience for teenagers, and couldn't even begin to imagine what they were like in this baby stage.

He couldn't back out of it now though, as Wendy was coming toward him. He quickly shifted his test tube and pipette to the bench before the baby was summarily dropped into his arms.

He vaguely registered Wendy slipping her arms free as he looked down into the red, scrunched up face of the baby in his arms. "Oh stop crying," he said impatiently, but not without a degree of softness.

Hodges wasn't the only one surprised when the squalling bundle fell silent instantly, and man and baby eyed each other warily.

"It's a boy," offered Wendy voluntarily soon after, shattering the quiet. "He's nine weeks old."

Hodges didn't need to look at her to know that she'd thrust her hands into her back jean pockets once again. _She only did that when she was nervous or worried about something, _he vaguely recalled, but ignored for now.

His eyes were still locked on the baby's when he acknowledged her once again. "What's his name?"

"Reuben."

Hodges was stunned for a moment. "Oh."

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Next chapter:

He doesn't know. 


	4. Fear

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

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She could see that the significance of the name hadn't been lost on him.

Reuben Geneberry was the creator of AstroQuest, the science fiction show that they both loved and had bonded over on numerous occasions.

The realisation didn't extend any further.

"That's a nice name," she heard him say softly.

She had thought that David would deduct what she wasn't telling him from the declaration of her son's name, but watching him disappear into himself, she knew he hadn't.

Looked like she needed to spell it out for him.

Sucking in a deep breath, she struggled to prepare herself. Her mouth slammed shut once again when he spoke first.

"Did you come alone?" asked Hodges, his eyes refusing to look down at the baby, his tone eerily flat. "Is R-Reuben's father with you?"

Her heart was beginning to break as she could physically feel Hodges drawing away from her.

Where moments before he had been holding the baby like a natural, his arms were now stiff. Reuben, as if he could sense the change, began to whimper once again.

Wendy fiercely crossed her arms over her chest as she resisted the urge to reach out to them both.

"David..." She swallowed, humiliated when she felt tears pooling in the corner of her eyes. She brushed them away angrily. "I didn't think it would be this hard."

She saw his stolid facade break for a moment as David looked at her in concern. "What's wrong?" he pressed, taking a step forward.

Her next utterance was a laugh mixed up in a sob. "David... He..." She gestured uselessly toward him and the baby he held. "Reuben's my son," she started redundantly.

Her eyes shifted from where her child was shifting restlessly to David's. Her courage almost left her then as she saw his face. "Reuben's our son," she blurted out.

Seeing the way his body froze, the confusion in his face, Wendy spoke again quickly. "He's your son."

She saw the shock.

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Next chapter:

The fallout.


	5. Anger

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.**  
**

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_The morning sun was barely in the sky, the weak dawn light streaking through the curtain, when David felt movement beside him. _

_He kept his body still and his breathing regular as he waited to see what she would do._

_He couldn't see her, but he sensed her reaching for him, but then she seemed to stop. _

"_I love you," she whispered with a sob before she left the room. _

_Hodges lay on his side wide awake. His eyelids shuttered close when he heard the front door shut._

_A single tear ran down his cheek. _

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"Reuben's my son?" he repeated.

He was angry. No more than angry, he was livid.

"When were you going to tell me?" he yelled.

Reuben's cried got louder as his parents fought.

Still angry, Hodges nevertheless dropped his tone when he spoke next. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I was going to tell you," said Wendy softly.

He snorted.

"But I was waiting for the right time."

"And so this seemed to be the right time?" he said incredulously.

Wendy looked uncomfortable. "Apparently so."

David just looked at her, and Wendy wondered – not for the first time – if she had made the right decision in not telling him.

"We weren't ready then," she said gently, trying to soften the blow.

Hodges opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Do you have a moment?" asked Nick, stepping in without warning.

"No!" both shouted, turning in tandem.

"Right," said the CSI. "I'll come back later." He took a step backward. "Good to see you Wendy," he called as retreated from the room.

"You too." When she turned back to David, there was a look of resignation of on his face.

"I can understand it," he said, his voice devoid of tone. "After all, what could I possibly have to offer you?"

"No David," she tried to say but he was having none of it.

"No Wendy," he said, stepping forward to place the baby in her arms. "You made the right decision."

He stepped back.

"I need to get back to work."

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_Next chapter: _ Time off.


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